Centennial liquor store owners are clicking their glasses in toast of a recent city decision to increase the number of free alcohol tastings a store can host from 50 to the maximum 104 allowed by Colorado law.

Since 2005 when Centennial first allowed limited tastings, no related violations have been brought before the city’s liquor board. That fact and the competitiveness of the industry prompted Heritage Wine & Liquor to request that Centennial liberalize its tastings ordinance.

“Until recently, we were pretty happy with one tasting a week,” Heritage owner Joel Weissman told the city council on Jan. 18. “However, [when] a new liquor store literally blocks east of us in Greenwood Village … started advertising that they were going to do Fridays and Saturdays, I felt that we really needed to even the playing field.”

The council agreed and voted unanimously to make the change after reaching general consensus on the issue in December.

Liquor stores will continue to pay a $50 annual fee to host the events and will be required to notify the city in advance of their tastings schedules. Any changes will require 48 hours notice. Stores are also limited to four tastings per week.

Only those who have finished a state-certified training program can conduct the tastings. Each free sample of beer or wine can be no more than one ounce. Liquor is limited to one half ounce. No more than four samples can be given to any customer.

The city ordinance will allow tastings to be held on Sundays when state law allows it, as is expected.

Centennial had been on the conservative end of the spectrum among area communities. Lone Tree, Greenwood Village, Parker and Aurora are among the south metro cities that have allowed a store to host up to the maximum 104 tastings.

Centennial has only four stores that have regularly hosted such in-store promotional events.